1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an attachment for use on harvester reels in particular to prevent crop materials from wrapping and catching on the spring tines and tine supports of the reel.
2. Prior Art
In the prior art the problem of wrapping on spring teeth reels used on combines and other harvesting equipment has been around for years. The standard "Hume" reels have been used for years and have worked successfully. The Hume reel has cross support pipe members that carry spring tines and includes a mechanism so that the support pipes on the reel pivot on their support arms and the tines remain oriented in space; that is they will remain substantially perpendicular to the ground as the reel rotates. This type of reel is well known (as shown on page 55 of Fundamentals of Machine Operation--Hay and Forage Harvesting, Deere and Company, Moline, Ill., 1976. The reel is shown only schematically herein.
Some farmers have attempted to solve the wrapping problems with these reels by slitting plastic drainpipe in half longitudinally, and then fastening the two sections around the coil springs of the reel. These shields are helpful, but they are very difficult to use and of course the slitting of the pipe even takes a good bit of time. Additionally, "two section" tubular protectors have been advanced where one section has holes for receiving the tines. The lower section of the protector slips over the tines and the other section is above the tines. The two sections are again fastened together. This type of protector is very difficult to make and the parts did not hold together well.